Abstract
This chapter focuses on inferential processes and strategies to be taught along with some practical intervention teaching activities that may assist students read and comprehend text more efficiently. When making inferences readers develop thinking processes that consider both conceptually driven and data-driven sources of information in the construction of meaning. The ability to make inferences is dependent upon the relationship to other component skills such as concept integration, comprehension monitoring and knowledge about overall text structure. It is asserted that children with reading comprehension difficulties can be taught to effectively use inference-making strategies to enhance their own meaning making abilities. The critical factor for teachers is knowing when and how to give appropriate support and feedback to enable them to make appropriate and strategic inferences. The QAR method is one example of how children can ask appropriate questions to direct their thinking and to know how and when to apply content-specific or background information. Thus, when children ask appropriate questions it sets a goal orientation that enables the efficient use of inference strategies.
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Woolley, G. (2011). Using Inferences and Strategic Processing. In: Reading Comprehension. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1174-7_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1174-7_7
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